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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24416164">Should I Stay?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/whenshewrites/pseuds/whenshewrites'>whenshewrites</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Collection of One-Shots and Tumblr Prompts [79]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Teen Wolf (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alpha Derek, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Derek Hale Deserves Nice Things, Derek Hale Loves Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale is Not a Failwolf, Derek Hale is Stiles Stilinski's Anchor, Derek Hale is a Softie, Emotionally Hurt Stiles Stilinski, Hurt Stiles Stilinski, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, One Shot, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Protective Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski Loves Derek Hale, The Hale Pack - Freeform, Tumblr Prompt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:08:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,083</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24416164</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/whenshewrites/pseuds/whenshewrites</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, Stiles breaks. Derek is always there to pick up the pieces.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Collection of One-Shots and Tumblr Prompts [79]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1956889</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>526</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Should I Stay?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="">
  <p>It was raining today. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Of course, it was raining, because why wouldn’t it be? The worst day of the year and it had to be coming down in buckets. Stiles thought that accurately portrayed his life; a literal grey movie. And he didn’t think he was the protagonist.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>He sat hunched in front of the grave and tried to ignore the rain dripping from his hair and into his face. His red hoodie had soaked through hours ago and Stiles was pretty sure his phone was ruined. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>But oh well. He couldn’t really muster up the energy to care.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Usually, he and his dad would spend the day here. On this anniversary— on the anniversary of his mother’s death. But since his dad had gotten his badge back, he’d been scrambling to prove that he deserved to keep it. And Stiles couldn’t really be angry about that, could he?</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>He wasn’t angry, he didn’t think. He was just empty. Tired.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Stiles had felt this day coming like a weight on his shoulders for weeks now. He’d missed the pack meeting last night and conveniently forgot to answer his phone when everyone called. Because Stiles… he never knew what to with himself on this day. It was easier to just be alone.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Someone clearly didn’t understand that.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Stiles had known he was being watched for a little while now. He felt it like an itch between his shoulder blades, even if he couldn’t see anyone when he turned around and looked. Someone had followed him here and clearly wasn’t planning on leaving.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Stiles thought he knew who. But he was too tired to care.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>At some point, the rain turned into a dull drizzle. The sun began to fade overhead and Stiles started to shiver. That was when he heard a footstep behind him.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Go away, Derek.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Silence answered his words. Stiles sighed and turned around, raising a brow at the miserable looking Alpha standing hunched in his leather jacket behind him. He didn’t know why the hell Derek had stuck around for so long. It was obvious Stiles wasn’t doing anything he wasn’t supposed to.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Your dad called,” Derek said after a moment. “He wanted to know where you are.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“He’s still at work?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“He said he was stacked with a nightshift. I told him you were at the loft.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Stiles blinked at him. Derek hunched even deeper into his jacket and shrugged, shuffling his feet. His boots squelched in the mud.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“You’re going to catch a cold if you stay out here.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“What a shame that’d be.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Stiles,” Derek said, his voice unusually soft. Stiles clenched his jaw and faced back forward, looking at the grave. “Come to the loft.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“I’ll go home in a few hours.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Will you really?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Stiles swallowed hard and didn’t answer. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d fallen asleep out here, but it’d be the first time in the rain. Still, he wouldn’t put something like that past himself. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>He expected Derek to leave when he didn’t answer. But to his surprise, the older man sighed and moved forward, sitting down at Stiles’s side. Stiles shot him a confused look.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“What are you doing?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Sitting.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Well, clearly I can see that, Sourwolf. But why?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“You’re in mourning,” Derek said simply. “You shouldn’t be alone.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Stiles didn’t know how to answer that, staring at him for a moment longer. Then he sighed and burrowed deeper into his hoodie, shivering slightly. He could feel Derek watching him and the man hesitated for a moment, before scooting closer. Stiles really didn’t know what to do with that.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“... Derek?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Would it help?” Derek asked. “If I stayed?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Derek was giving him an out. If Stiles really wanted to be alone, all he’d have to do was say ‘no’ and he was sure Derek would leave him alone. But Stiles couldn’t make himself do that. He shook his head and Derek started to stand up, but Stiles quickly caught his arm. His fingers curled into the man’s sleeve.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Stay.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Wordlessly, Derek sat back down. Stiles leaned further into his shoulder, water dripping down his nose and off his chin, and closed his eyes at the warmth radiating off the man. This was like a literal grey movie, he thought. How hilarious.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Derek would be an unexpected character, though.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“She always loved the rain,” Stiles said. He huffed and shook his head. “Ironic, right?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“She would’ve been proud of you,” Derek said. Stiles looked at him incredulously.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“You didn’t even know her.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“No,” Derek said, meeting his gaze. “But I know you.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Stiles swallowed. Ducking his head, he looked back at the headstone again. It was cracking at the right edge. That had been bothering him for the past hour. “You do, don’t you?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Derek stayed quiet. Stiles licked his lips.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“You came.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>An arm moved around his shoulder and hesitated carefully, but Stiles didn’t pull away and Derek pulled him further against his side. The werewolf radiated warmth like a heater. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>It was nice.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>They stayed like that for a little longer. By the time the rain had finally stopped and Stiles could barely read the words on the grave, his limbs were tight with exhaustion and cold. If Derek felt the same, he hadn’t said anything. Just stayed close and constant.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“We should go back,” Stiles said. Derek glanced over at him.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Are you ready?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Stiles hesitated for a moment longer. Then he nodded, more sure than he’d expected to be. “Yeah, I’m ready.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Do you want me to take you home?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“No,” Stiles said. The idea of an empty house sounded worse than he’d admit out loud. Swallowing nervously, he glanced back over at Derek, unsure if the offer still stood, but Derek seemed to read his eyes. The man’s face softened.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“The loft?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Please.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Derek helped him up and slipped off his leather jacket, turning Stiles around. Before Stiles could protest, he wrapped it around his shoulders and nodded toward the parking lot where the Camaro sat. Burrowing deeper into the new warmth, Stiles nodded back. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>But still, he only got a few feet before he glanced back. One more time.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><em>She would’ve been proud of you,</em> Derek had said.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Stiles blinked hard and turned to follow the waiting werewolf. Derek looked down at him and Stiles nodded again, cautiously catching the man’s fingers with his own. Derek didn’t hesitate to squeeze back and, swallowing nervously, Stiles offered a small smile.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“I know you too, Sourwolf.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Derek chuckled.</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Written for the prompt 'would it help if i stayed?' and I had so much fun. I hope you all enjoyed! The comments and support you guys leave makes my day &lt;3</p><p>Come hang with me on Tumblr! </p><p>  <a href="https://when-she-writes-stuff.tumblr.com/">tumblr dumpser</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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